Roommates
by Carla Fox
Summary: HUDDY, Alternative Universe post S4EP9. Because of an accident, House is now homeless. With Wilson in his honeymoon, is Cuddy who decide to offer him some help. Huge Mistake! Constructive criticism is welcome, flames no.
1. All gone

**Roommates**

**By Carla Fox**

**Chapter 1: All gone. **

_Disclaimer: I don't own House M.D or their characters or stories or anything really, just my cats._

* * *

It was probably the best sleep he'd ever had in his life… so deep, so relaxing, almost feeling as though he were out of his body. He felt oddly content, no worries, no nothing… nothing at all. 

"C'mon people, move! Move! Take him out of here!" he heard from far, far away. He didn't care… he was getting numb.

"Sir… sir, can you hear me?" asked a male voice a little closer than the other. House tried to open his eyes, but couldn't. He felt so tired.

"There's no time for this! Put the oxygen mask on and move him out of here! NOW, NOW, NOW PEOPLE!" another man commanded.

House tried to open his eyes, but still he couldn't. He tried to move, but it was impossible; his body was set heavily against the mattress. He couldn't think straight, then he felt a mask on him and the desperately needed oxygen got into him like a slap on the face, but the only thing he was able to do was barely open his eyes, and then all he could see was a blurry picture. There were people in his room, in his apartment, and a man was running around opening doors, asking if there was someone else inside. They were dressed in strange uniforms, all covered up with huge oxygen masks on their faces. One man grabbed House's left arm and another his right. They moved him quickly out of his bed, his body not responding. The firemen moved him harshly through the apartment, passing by even more people. House blinked once or twice, feeling sick and on the way out of the building into the chilly winter air, he saw more firemen carrying people out of the building.

The cold air hit his skin strongly and painfully, but helped him clear his mind a little. He was barefoot and was only wearing a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. House tried to move his foot but there was no time for it. The firemen dragged him quickly to a nearby ambulance and left him there in the care of a paramedic, who put a blanket over his shoulder and kept the mask on him.

"W…what…?" was all House could ask, trying not to fall from his sitting position and focused his eyes on the woman who was attending him. She flashed a light into his eyes and he almost lost his balance.

"A gas line ruptured in the building…" said the paramedic moving quickly from one side to the other, keeping an eye on him. "One of your neighbors made the call and we found out that most of the building was affected. There is the risk of an explosion" said the blond girl giving him a paper cup with some liquids. "Drink this…" she commanded and House took it.

"What's your name?" she said, once again flashing the light into his eyes. This time House was able to push her away. She frowned.

"Gregory House" he said feeling a lot less dizzy. The paramedic opened her eyes in awe.

"Like in Doctor Gregory House?" she asked.

"Yes, like in that. I want to go to bed, how long is this going to take?" he complained still not quite out of the gas induced intoxication and trying to take the oxygen mask away.

"As long as it takes" she answered sharply, moving around looking at the other patients after making sure he wouldn't take the mask off.

"We are done Michael. Move the ambulance, we are taking them to the Princeton-Plainsboro now" she said closing the doors with the four people inside. House looked around with his unfocused eyes and thought he recognized the gay dude from the second floor, the piano teacher from across the hall and some… guy from whatever apartment.

"I don't need to go to the hospital, I am fine" he said trying to take the mask off again. This time the young woman slapped him softly on the cheek. Well, maybe not exactly softly.

"Stay still. You are going to the hospital like everybody else. The police are closing the area off because of the risk of an explosion, so shut up and stay STILL" she commanded.

"Did you just slap me?" asked House feeling his cheek sore. "Naughty…"

"Michael! Call the hospital and inform them that we are bringing them their prodigal doctor… and tell them to inform the Dean of Medicine. She is going to be thrilled to have him as a patient… again" she commented with a smirk and House looked at her with hate.

House sighed and muttered as he closed his eyes, "Now THAT was naughty!"

* * *

"What happened?" asked Cuddy running into the E.R. where more than twelve people were been attended to by the personnel. 

"Gas line rupture. Two people died; the rest are in different states of intoxication, including House" informed Cameron running from one place to the other attending people.

"House?!" said Cuddy as she finished putting on her white coat and began helping Cameron with one of the patients while the nurses ran back and forth between patients.

"Yes; it was in his building. He is being taken in an ambulance" said the young doctor, then everybody turned around to see a new ambulance bringing more people in.

"I said I'm fine!!" shouted House as he fought with the paramedic who was trying to put the mask back on his face.

"It's ok…" said Cuddy getting between two's arm wrestling match. "I'll take care of him from here" she said with a fake smile, pushing House's wheel chair away from the angry woman who murmured something to him.

"Back at ya! You sadistic shadow of a doctor!" shouted House at her, but Cuddy placed the oxygen mask on him hard, shutting him up.

"Now I understand why they paged me in the middle of the night" said Cuddy pushing the wheel chair outside the E.R. before House stressed out the other patients. She moved him into the elevator and went upstairs.

"I said I'm fine" said House taking off the oxygen mask and trying to stop his head from spinning around.

"Whatever… do you realize that you are so annoying that you need your own doctor to pick you up?" she asked, one hand on her hip and the other holding the chair.

"Really? Where is it? Because you are hardly a doctor anymore" he fired back at her. She rolled her eyes and didn't reply.

The elevator stopped and Cuddy pushed the chair to an empty private room, and then called on the nurses to help her put House on the bed.

"I am not a baby."

"Then stop acting like one" said Cuddy as she began examining him. His eyes were still slightly dilated and he still had some problems breathing.

"Ok, put in a saline IV and…"

"No, no! You are not treating me. The last time you did I lost my muscle, remember?" he said still fighting all the fuzz around him.

Cuddy looked at him angrily, but then looked at the scared nurse who ping-ponged between the two.

"As I said, connect the IV AND sedate him…" she commanded and the girl moved to pick up what she needed.

"You are mean" he said childishly, but thankfully for her he was too weak to fight her.

"And you are a royal pain in the ass" she said taking the sedative and injecting him with it before he could protest.

"That must be quite a nice pain then" House remarked, feeling how he was slowly starting to relax.

"Sleep House, I'll take care of you" said Cuddy before his eyes slowly closed and his breathing became steady and rhythmic.

* * *

"It's so odd looking at him in there" said Kutner as he watched House in his bed. 

"It's quite nice actually… having him silent for a change" commented Thirteen smiling at him.

"His vitals are fine" said Taub, taking the chart from the bottom of his bed and showing to the other two.

"Of course I'm fine… bad weed never dies… you are the ones who should be worried. Why are you wasting your time here?" murmured House coming out of his sleep, feeling a lot better.

The three of them looked at each other not sure how to answer him. House looked at them and frowned.

"What?" he asked worriedly. His first reaction was to touch his good leg and make sure it was there. He sighed with relief and looked at them. "You know, Cuddy has a thing for my legs…well, with all of _me_ actually" he said resting back in the bed, but the three new members of his team just looked at each other.

"How do you feel?" asked Cameron from the door, followed by Chase who just looked at him and nodded shortly.

"Peachy" said House trying to sit up a little more in an effort to look less pathetic.

Cameron walked in with Chase and they looked at the three new doctors there, ending up in an uncomfortable silence.

"All we need is Foreman and all my kids will be together…" said House and then Foreman looked in from the edge of the door.

"It's getting crowded in here. Go away, people will think you actually _care_" House said, a little bothered with the excessive attention. Chase was reading his medical chart, and Foreman and Cameron smiled.

"So, you don't know…" said Kutner, but Thirteen elbowed him in the ribs causing him to bend over in pain.

"Know what?" said House worriedly, looking to everyone. The smiled faded and the lip biting began.

"Er… I think…I, yeah, I got a page" said Foreman walking quickly from the room.

Cameron tried to say something, but kept looking at the ceiling trying to find the words. Chase grabbed her and pushed her outside, not even looking back. House looked with his piercing blue eyes to his new team and they shivered in their place.

"So? Am I getting an answer or do I start firing people!" he threatened.

"No one is going to get fired" said Cuddy as she walked into the room smiling calmly. The three doctors looked at her with hope. She moved and showed the door to them and they walked out fast, though not before Kutner waved bye at House who just rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"What good is going to come if they don't fear me?" House complained and Cuddy smiled at him uneasily. She closed the door and slowly walked next to him. House began to get really worried.

"What the hell is going on?" he said trying to stand up from the bed. Cuddy put a hand on his shoulder, calming him.

"Nothing bad… to you" she assured him. He sat there, question blazing in his eyes. Cuddy bit her lower lip and wondered if there was an easy way to tell him the news, but there wasn't any. She sat on the bed next to him, and his eyes automatically fell to her cleavage.

"I… well, the thing is your building blew up", she said quickly. House couldn't process the information at first.

"Come again?" he asked honestly.

"Your building… it blew up. Three was too much gas, and basically it exploded… it's all over the news. The whole block was compromised and a couple of people died."

"Screw the dying people, I have no apartment?!" he asked her, not believing what was happening.

"Yeap, and no bike either. It was destroyed in the explosion." She told the brutal truth, the way he liked it. But right now, he didn't like the information at all.

House sat there in silence, feeling weird. He was attached to things the way he didn't like to be attached to people, or animals. But his old guitar was in the apartment, and the new one which he hadn't even started paying for was in there too. His piano, his pictures, his medical journals, his t-shirt, his records, his cane… everything was lost. He felt like he was going to throw up.

"House, are you ok?" Cuddy asked worriedly, looking at his blank expression.

"Move" he said with a deep voice, trying to stand up. Cuddy quickly moved out of his way. He was still weak from the gas inhalation and his legs gave way, but she caught him in time.

"What are you doing?" she asked trying with all her strength to keep his weight on her.

"I need to see it" he said not caring about her pain caused by her holding him up. He walked using her as support.

"It's all in ashes, House…" she said walking next to him, her arm around his waist, keeping him balanced.

"I don't care; I need to see it… take me to my office. I have clothes in there… and a cane" he commented, making sure that he didn't get stuck in a wheel chair anymore. She looked at him and rolled her eyes, wondering why the hell she let him get away with everything.

TBC

_Thanks Dwparsnip for beta me, as always!_

Thank you for reading! see you in the next chapter!


	2. Once again, from the begining

**Roommates**

**By Carla Fox**

**Chapter 2: Once again, from the begining.**

_Disclaimer: I don't own House M.D or their characters or stories or anything really, just my cats._

* * *

It looked more like a war zone than an apartment building. The scene was more akin to one of those catastrophic scenarios during the second world war in Poland than a nice residential area in New Jersey. 

However, worse than the post-apocalyptic scene was the smell, the strong odor of burned paper, wood and plastic that filled the nostrils in dense waves, making Cuddy nauseous. She put her hand over her mouth and nose, also feeling the heat coming from the ashes around her. It was really a little piece of hell, but she was concentrating more on the shocked faced of House, because that was what it was: shocked.

He was just speechless. All smartass words were forgotten. Cuddy realized this was the second time in her life he saw him this lost, hurt, almost vulnerable, betrayed by life itself. The first one was when he woke up after the sugery that made him a cripple. She looked away, guilt hitting her worse than the strong smell of burned wood inside his apartment.

Everything was lost, even the last little memory was gone. The light coming in from the window made strange figures because of the last remnants of smoke that surrounded House like ghostly shapes. Cuddy stood in her place at the door, giving him enough space and privacy. This was not a time to intrude.

House walked slowly around, trying to recognize his things, his home, but the fire already changed everything in a malicious way, like life itself was making fun of him for his recent _acceptance_ of change. The couch was nothing more than a pile of burned leather. The TV and TiVo half melted into pulps of plastic, the same sad fate that had befallen the CD player and old record collection. House walked to the rack of CDs and touched them softly. Then, one of the most precious things he had caught his attention: his piano. Covered in ashes from the burned paint from the ceiling, it was probably the biggest corpse inside that apartment. Swallowing hard, he opened it and saw the once clear white and dark keys. He touched one. Nothing. The fire broke the strings inside it. If there was a time House felt like he was on the verge of crying, that was it. But he didn't.

He thought that was it, that was the worst, but he was sadly mistaken. Out of the corner of his eye he saw another of his beloved possessions gone forever. The Gibson 1967 Flying V, his electric guitar, burned to the core and his two acoustic guitars, the old one he had since 8th grade and the brand new one, burned to ashes.

House simply couldn't take it anymore. Screaming at the top of his lungs wouldn't realese not even half of all the emotions he had inside him, so he didn't do that. He held the cane so hard that not just his knuckles turned white, but his whole hand. Cuddy saw all this, and got extremly worried, but House decided to walk away from the place as fast as he could, leaving her behind. Cuddy looked at him, walking away from the building in no particular direction, more like running away. She remembered when she took away his carpet at the office and how he fought back for it until he got his wish, but now, this chaos was simply not fixable. Cuddy walked inside the building alone and grabbed the dead electric guitar in her hands and watched it closely for a small sign of hope. It was just imposible.

* * *

"How is he?" asked Cameron to Cuddy while she was looking at some charts between clinic hours. 

"Bad. I haven't seen him so affected by something since... well, a long time ago. Why don't you try to cheer him up?" she asked the younger doctor, but Cameron just shook her head sadly.

"I tried. We all tried, but not even the new had a chance. He dismissed us or threw something at us. I think he actually hit Kutner with a stapler" Cameron explained to her boss. Cuddy just sighed. "What about Wilson?"

"He tried to call him, but House hasn't answered any of his calls. I explained things to him to calm him down, because he almost cancelled his honeymoon to return when he saw the news on TV" explained Cuddy, taking one of the charts and heading to exam room 3.

"What are we going to do?" asked Cameron in her pink scrubs, hoping for an answer.

Cuddy turned around and looked at her hoping to have an answer to give her. "I don't know. I guess we have to give him some time and to make sure he doesn't give himself a cocktail of Vicodin and Vodka. Sadly, that's all we can do" she said and walked to see her patient. Cameron sighed dejectedly and walked in the direction of the E.R.

* * *

"House, it's been five days. You need to get yourself out of this office" said Cuddy getting inside the devil's mouth. In five days, nobody had had the guts to try it after the stapler incident, but someone had to. 

"Go away" said House visibly dirty, unshaved and with hollow eyes that didn't look at her.

"No I won't. And don't you dare throw anything at me" she said crossing her arms over her chest in a nervous way and stepping farther inside.

"I said go away" he repeated standing up and walking towards her, trying to scare her. She stayed in her place.

"You know you can't scare me" she challenged.

"Don't test me Cuddy, not now" he said holding himself on the edge of his table. She raised an eyebrow.

"I will not. All I'm saying is that you have a job to do and I want to make sure you do it. But first go and take a shower and make yourself presentable."

"For what? So after my long day of work I can go to rest in my home? Oh, let me see... I don't have one!" he commented sarcastically and walked to sit in his chair again, grabbing his bottle of Vicodin and taking a couple of pills without the help of any water. "By the way, nice move to control my prescriptions... I bet you wouldn't like to clean the mess of my puke from the shirt of your donors. Or maybe you would... a sexy scene with a shirtless 67 year old obese rich man and the horny ambitious administrator, I am sure that would get an extra hundred on your nightstand."

Cuddy looked at him with a stone face, not even blinking.

"Are you done? Because I actually don't care where you go and what you do with your miserable and patethic little life after working hours. I just want you to get out of this office and this building and stop sleeping on Wilson's couch at night. You need to find a place and move on" she said with her coldest voice, half of it with the intention of getting back at him for what he said, and the other half trying to get a reaction from him. House looked her in the eye for the first time.

"I am sorry mistress, I'll leave your substitute child alone" he said cruelly, and bowed dramatically from his seat. Cuddy angrily turned around and walked to the door. She was going to get away from there, but stopped in her tracks. House watched all her actions. She stood there, giving her back at him, thinking about what to do and then turned around and faced him again.

"Look, I really think this is unhealthy. I know you feel bad because of the fire, but there are people here who need your expertise" she tried again, from a different angle.

"Sad for them, but guess what, life's a bitch" he answered, standing up and moving a little because his leg was a little sore.

"Look at you; you haven't had a good night sleep since the accident. Your leg is sore and you look like crap. Why are you acting like this?" Cuddy said and walked near him. He actually stank.

"Because I want people to leave me ALONE!" he said getting closer to her.

"I will not. Wilson is not here now, you are my responsibility."

"Why? Because you ruined my life and you feel guilty?"

"No, because I am your boss" she finished, turned around again and began walking to the door. "C'mon, let's go" she said holding the door open for him. He looked at her like she lost her mind.

"You can't be serious. You can't kick me out of my own office" he said feeling a little uneasy inside. This was the only place he had left.

"I will not, at least not today. You are coming home with me" Cuddy explained simply. He snorted.

"Really Cuddy, you don't need to do that to get into my pants…I am quite easy."

"That would be the only thing you are easy with, but I'm not talking about sex. I am inviting you to my home, to stay there. It's a familiar place, you have been there before. I have a guest room with a bathroom and a fridge with food in the kitchen. And no matter what you said before, the place is _clean_." She held the glass door open with her body, waiting for him. He looked at her out of the corner of his eye, not trusting her.

"House, I know I am not Wilson. We are not friends, we are colleagues. I am your boss, but there is some... thing between us. Come home with me, get some rest, get yourself back on your feet and then move on. I will not interrupt you" she promised.

"What will you get from this? A clear conscience?"

"That, and a funtional Diagnostic department."

"What's the catch? This can't come free" he asked getting closer to her. She thought about it for a moment.

"Well, yes. First, my room is off limits. You can move around the house as you wish, but keep yourself out of my bedroom. Second, keep your space and the common areas like the living room and the kitchen clean and third, no hookers in my house. I don't care how much of a _college student_ they are and how _decent_ they look" Cuddy answered extremly serious, making sure she gave him a clear message.

"But Mom!" he complained like a child.

"If you want to get laid, go and pay for a motel room like the rest of the world. Don't be cheap" she said a little less stuffy now, with almost the shadow of a smile. He rolled his eyes.

"Ok, I accept your terms and conditions. This is the second time I feel like I sold my soul to a vicious creature" he said walking back to his desk and getting his cane.

"What was the first?" she asked smiling genuinely for the first time in a few days.

"When I registered my copy of Windows for my computer. You have to fight with Bill Gates for the rights to my soul" he commented passing her and walking to the elevator.

* * *

They got to her house and she walked in first to open the door for him. House followed her closely. 

"Come in" she said inviting him in. He looked around first and then went in.

"Make yourself comfortable" she said a little nervously.

House walked around looking at each little thing, studying the place even though he'd been there before. "Where is my room?" he asked impolitely.

"Right here" she said walking him to a room. She opened the door and turned the lights on. He walked in and checked the place out, acting more like a buyer than guest.

The place was normal size. There was one bed in the middle of the room, not as big as his, but enough for his large frame. There was a closet, a dresser, one nightstand and another door, probably for the bathroom. House sat on the bed and jumped a little.

"Seems good" he said nonchalantly.

"Well, thank you, your highness, for the positive review of the room" Cuddy smirked.

"No problem" said House inspecting the room.

"There are clean towels in the closet and I think there is a pair of men's jeans and a shirt in there too" she commented.

"From an old lover?" he asked opening up the closet and finding the items.

"Actually yes, but don't worry, it's all clean" Cuddy commented, smiling evilly at him, "but no underwear though" she finished and closed the door, leaving him alone.

House looked at the closed door, feeling a little less uncomfortable with himself and life, but just a little. He picked up the clothes. They seemed like they would fit him, then he grabbed the towels and walked inside the bathroom to clean himself up and begin... all over again.

TBC

_As always, thank you to Dwparsnip for beta my fanfics._

Thanks for reading! I'll try to update soon

_This chapter is dedicated for my own Doctor House, my friend "Doc" Villanueva, you know why. _


	3. Freebird

**Roommates**

**By Carla Fox**

**Chapter 3: Freebird**

_Disclaimer: I don't own House M.D or their characters or stories or anything really, just my cats._

_

* * *

_

She slowly woke up from her sleep. Her bed was so warm, and she felt so relaxed that the last thing she wanted to do was open her eyes; it was Saturday after all. She smiled lazily and turned to her left, holding onto the pillow and ready to stay in Morpheus' arms for another couple of hours, but her senses alerted her to a strange tall shadow. She screamed when she saw a pair of deep blue eyes staring at her from above.

"What the hell are you doing here!!" she shouted at House, who was standing next to the bed watching her curiously like she was a microbe that had been incubating in a lab for two days.

"Waiting for you to wake up. Your arachnid like senses are not as sharp as I thought, Spider-Cuddy. I've been here for six and a half minutes and you haven't even blinked," commented House with a disappointed face.

"You almost give me a heart attack!" Cuddy said as she tried to catch her breath. What a way to wake up, she thought.

"Unless you have a family medical history to support that, it's kind of hard, considering that you are still young. Not so much appealing, but still young. We DO have to consider that you are on the pill, so the chances actually increase..."

"WHAT-DO-YOU-WANT!" she interrupted him, sitting up in her bed. House watched as the sheet fell from her body and he raised an eyebrow in appreciation of the tight fitting nightgown. Cuddy quickly took the sheet and covered herself while giving him a deathly look.

"I need a ride to the mall," he stated simply, looking back at her eyes again.

"Get a taxi," she answered, grabbing her bathrobe and putting on quickly before standing up. House frowned at the offensive, oversized, puffy grey robe.

"Can't. I don't have any money."

"Go to an ATM," said Cuddy as she walked around looking for some shoes to put on.

"Can't. I need to go to the bank to get a new card, and that's not open on Saturday," he explained as he followed her. "Plus, my cash burned and my credit cards melted, so until I can get a new card from the bank, I can't take my money out. Loan me some. I am quite good for it, ask Wilson," and House gave her a fake sincere look. Cuddy turned around and looked at him, not buying it for a minute.

"I'm sleepy, House, not stupid," she said and then the reality of him standing in her room hit her. "Why are you in here anyway? You aren't supposed to be in here!" she said crossing her arms in front of her.

"I thought that rule applied to when you weren't at home. Why should I not come in when you ARE here? That doesn't make any sense," said House making a face.

"It applies with me here and without me here. Out!" she said pushing him away and closing the door.

"Cuddy! Drive me to the maaaallll," he said, extending the word as though he was a teenager girl pleading with her mother.

"Why do you want to go to the mall anyway?" she asked from behind the closed door. He played with the doorknob, which she had already locked.

"Because, duh... I need to buy clothes and other items necessary for my survival! I am not going to go around wearing your ex-lovers clothes all the time! They itch!" he complained.

"That makes sense... the _buying_ part," Cuddy answered from the other side. House heard moving around from inside, probably Cuddy getting clothes or something else. "I will take a shower and then drive you there. I can buy some things I need."

"No, no, no... give me the money, leave me there and I'll do my own shopping. I don't need you around telling me I look good in blue... even if I do."

"I don't have any intention of going WITH you, you can do your stuff and I'll do mine. I have the feeling we don't go to the same stores anyway. Now go away. I'm going to take a shower," said Cuddy and she closed the door of her bathroom. House stood outside the door waiting. He didn't have anything else to do, and besides, scaring her was quite entertaining.

* * *

"That is your concept of things you need to survive?" Cuddy asked him looking at the four big bags filled with CDs, DVDs and only two clothing items. 

"I need this to survive. The stereo is going directly to your home, I can't handle all those boxes," he said like it was nothing, but Cuddy opened her eyes wide.

"A stereo? I already have one."

"I wouldn't boast about that, Cuddy. It's barely a radio," House rolled his eyes and began walking away, leaving Cuddy to follow him holding her own bags.

"What's wrong with it? It works," Cuddy said with a straight face walking next to him. House looked at her like she said something very offensive.

"That piece of crap should have never seen daylight! It's an insult to the ears."

"Whatever. Do you have everything you need?"

"Yeah, I spent a little more than we agreed to on your credit card," he said giving it back to her, "but don't worry…I'll pay for it." House smirked.

Cuddy smiled innocently at him. "Sure, don't worry. I'll take it out of your check next month." House looked at her annoyed; he forgot she could actually do that. They walked to the exit but House stopped in the food court.

"Subway?" he asked.

"Sure," she said suddenly feeling hungry. They walked up to the counter and gave their orders, and of course House made Cuddy pay for the whole lunch. On their way to an empty table, they heard a familiar voice.

"Dr. Cuddy! How are you?" asked Cameron walking towards her with some bags in her hands. House kept walking and sat on a chair and began eating, not caring about the two women.

"Hi," said Cuddy holding her tray, wishing she was a quarter as uncaring as House and just went to eat.

"I'm sorry, am I interrupting something?" the young doctor asked looking from one to the other.

"Yes, we were going to eat, then catch a movie and then go back to her place to make sweet-sweet love. You know… the usual stuff people do on _dates_," House answered with his mouth half full. Cameron looked at Cuddy in shock and she denied it by shaking her head a little too strongly.

"No we are not. I just loaned him some money because he had nothing left… except his normal rotten soul!" she answered looking at him angrily. House looked away.

"I see," said Cameron, smiling a little in relief.

"It's more than that, Cuddy and you know it. We are living together now," House said looking directly to his former employee. Cuddy honestly thought the girl was going to have a stroke.

"Not like that!" corrected Cuddy quickly.

"You asked me to live with you!" House complained.

"I _invited _you, until you found your own place, that's VERY different," she answered him. "Don't listen to him," she said to Cameron, "you know he is an ass."

"Look who's talking. You're the one standing up holding a tray in your hands with a perfectly good table next to you," he said moving the chair across from him with his long leg, telling her with his eyes _sit_. Cameron just sighed.

"I'll leave the two of you alone to eat, I have… things to do," she said with a small voice. Cuddy actually felt bad for her.

"It's not like that…" she tried to explain, both for her own sake and Cameron's, but Cameron smiled sadly and interrupted her. "It's ok, really, I have to go," she said and turned her back to them saying her goodbye. Cuddy watched her go.

"Are you going to sit or what? You look stupid standing there," House said taking another bite of his sandwich.

"You're horrible," said Cuddy sitting in her seat across from him. "Why did you do that?"

"Because I'm a bitter old man and I'm hungry."

"You didn't need to be that harsh with her, she was just..."

"Just bothering me. I don't like eating in places this crowded, but I'm hungry, so... whatever. The faster we eat, the faster we can go," commented the cranky diagnostician. Cuddy just sighed and concentrated on her own sandwich for a while. They ate in silence and as soon as they finished, she drove them home.

Cuddy went to her room and closed the door, a little upset. She was not friends with Cameron, but House did cross the line during lunch. She put her new things in the appropriate places and thought about the situation a little more. House was an ass indeed. The poor young doctor still had a crush on him, Chase or not, and he had just been cruel. It was not right.

The afternoon turned into a cloudy and cold day. Cuddy looked out the window of her room and the skies looked like they were on the verge of breaking out with rain. She sighed, feeling cold and decided to turn on the heater.

Walking in her puffy slippers, she lazily went to the living room but stopped in her tracks when she saw House with a look on his face like a child opening Christmas gifts, sitting on the floor with opened boxes and wires everywhere.

"What the hell is this?!" she asked, hands on her hips looking at the mess around.

"Why do you ask such stupid questions? You know what this is," said House concentrating on connecting wires.

"But...but... go to your room! You are making a mess here!" complained the woman, picking up some of the empty plastic covers, but House slapped her hand away.

"Don't touch, you might lose something!" he said and concentrared again. Cuddy looked at him perplexed.

"You slapped my hand!"

"And again... there we go with the obvious. Go and do your stuff, I'm busy here," and he once again turned his full attention to the wires.

Cuddy looked at him not believing his attitude.

"You have some nerve, House," she commented aloud.

"Nerve I have... muscle, not so much," House answered looking at her, making a face. She rolled her eyes wondering how many times he was going to use the _guilt_ card on her. She turned around and turned the heat on, ready to leave him alone, but had second thoughts about it when House sighed in frustration.

"Come here," he said, extending a hand to her. She took it and he got up slowly.

"What do you want now?" Cuddy asked raising an eyebrow and visibly annoyed.

"Sit down there," he commanded, looking at the couch and giving her a look not to argue about it. She sighed and did what he said. House moved the speakers around in strategic locations, and looked inside one of the boxes that held the CDs. He took some time until he found the one he wanted. Cuddy couldn't look at the cover, because he blocked her view on purpose, then limped towards the huge and clearly high tech music equipment. He placed the CD inside and then turned the system on.

The simple room suddenly turned into a concert hall. Cuddy then realized there were speakers behind the couch and the system made the cheering of the recorded people from the concert come alive, almost touchable. It was frankly amazing, but then a familiar and old tune began. House closed his eyes, enjoying one of the pleasures in his life. The music began softly, but just with the right intensity, with a promise of something more... it was clear that Lynyrd Skynyrd knew their stuff.

_If I leave here tomorrow_

_Would you still remember me?_

_For I must be travelling on, now,_

_cause theres too many places I've got to see._

_But, if I stayed here with you, girl,_

_Things just couldn't be the same._

_cause I'm as free as a bird now,_

_And this bird you can not change._

_Lord knows, I can't change._

The music gave the idea that the rhythm was going to increase, but then went soft again, playing with the senses. Cuddy listened to the song and realized that her stereo was indeed crap.

_Bye, bye, it's been a sweet love._

_Though this feeling I can't change._

_But please don't take it badly,_

_cause lord knows I'm to blame._

_But, if I stayed here with you girl,_

_Things just couldn't be the same._

_Cause I'm as free as a bird now,_

_And this bird you'll never change._

_And this bird you can not change._

_Lord knows, I can't change._

_Lord help me, I can't change._

_Lord I can´t change_

_Won´t you fly high, free bird, yeah?_

And then it began... the guitars got faster and faster. House was in another world. He moved his hand to the volume and turned it up as high as the thing could go. The windows of the room began trembling, but Cuddy admitted to herself that the damn machine turned her living room into a damn fine concert hall. She did what he did; she closed her eyes and got into the music, the guitars and the simple display of talent.

When the music went on and on, Cuddy opened her eyes and looked at House, his eyes still closed and his hands in the air playing an invisible guitar. She knew he missed it, those guitars were a part of who he was and then she noticed something she didn't notice any other day on his face... nostalgia. He went on and on like he was alone, not caring about the world, feeling the music and playing the non existent guitar, from time to time biting his lower lip. Cuddy felt sad for him, but not in a pitiful way.

"How was THAT!" he exclaimed when the song faded away slowly and he stopped it, a smile all over his face.

"Incredible. What can I say, once again you were right, my stereo did suck," she said, her hand holding her head.

"Told you," House commented without looking at her and taking the wires in his hands one more time. She watched him work for a little while and didn't realize she was staring at him.

"I can use some help with this... I am a cripple, remember?" and he waved at her showing her all the empty boxes and papers around.

"Oh no. You clean that up. You didn't have any problem spending my money on that thing and opening up the boxes. Do the job. That's rule number 2, remember?" Cuddy said while she stood up from her couch, making her mind up not to fall into his trap.

"Please?" House asked with puppy eyes.

"NO!" Cuddy answered crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"C'mon Cuddy... you liked it."

"Yes, but you are going to take it away when you move out anyway, so why bother?" and then she turned around to leave the room, but his words stopped her in her tracks.

"No I won't," he said as he kept rolling the wires in his hands without looking at her.

"What do you mean?" she asked stepping a little closer to him.

"I am not taking the stereo away. It's for you," he said still looking down like an embarrassed boy.

Even when he was an ass 99 percent of the time, he did have some humanity in him, enough at least to know when to be grateful, and this was his way of thanking her for letting him stay in her house. The rain outside fell hard and the sky turned dark grey. He looked at the window and for a minute thought that he could be outside, alone and cold as a stray dog. If Wilson were in town he would probably help him, but now that he was married again, it wouldn't be the same. Cameron was with Chase, and asking for help from them would have been more than awkward. House smirked to himself at the idea. He would rather stay in the cold, freezing his ass off before doing that. Foreman and his new team were out of the question. But Cuddy didn't just offer him a place, she also saved him from the embarrassment of asking for help, and for that, he was thankful to her.

"Thank you," she said simply to him, realizing the real meaning of the gift. After all music was his thing; it was exactly like when a child shared his candy. "But I will still get my money back from your paycheck," and then she smiled at him before leaving to go to her room.

He just looked at her and smirked.

TBC

_Thank you Dwparsnip for beta my fanfics, you are **THE** best!_

Thanks for reading AND the great feedback! See you all in the next chapter.

Song: 'Freebird' By Lynyrd Skynyrd.


	4. Say cheese!

**Roommates**

**By Carla Fox**

**Chapter 4: "Say cheese!" **

A/N: I'm so sorry for the delay! - _shame on me- _I hope you like this chapter. I think I replied to every review I got, but in case I missed one, thank you all so much for them!! I love them, thank you :)

_Disclaimer: I don't own House M.D or their characters or stories or anything really, just my cats._

* * *

"Where's my cereal?!" she said opening the cabinets of her kitchen frantically. She didn't have much time before her first morning meeting and she was hungry. It was the last day of the week, and probably one of the last few days of the infamous Gregory House eating her food, though not before complaining about it, making a mess in her living room, answering her phone like it was a hot line and changing the resting place of her underwear. Oh yeah, the current and soon-to-be ending week had been priceless. 

Making her high heels sound harsh against her wooden floor, she walked to his bedroom and opened the door. The vision of a very asleep House askew on his bed and probably drooling was, at first sight, hilarious. But then she remembered why she was there and hid the ghost of a smile.

"House!" she said loudly and using her bossy voice, making him jump in the bed. She couldn't stop the smile coming again, but she tried to control it, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"Wha..?!" he said making a face, opening and closing his big blue eyes getting use to the light coming in from the hallway.

"Where's my cereal?" Cuddy asked while biting the inside of her mouth, annoyed.

"Somewhere... around here," he answered frowning and then turning around in the opposite direction of her, ready to fall asleep again.

"Where?! House! I have an 8:30 meeting and I need to eat something!" she said coming inside and bumping into CD boxes. Then she stepped into an open plastic box. Her heel slipped and before she even noticed she fell on the floor like a bag of potatoes.

"Damn it, House!" she said from the floor, her hair all over her face. House didn't turn around but his shoulders shook from his silent laugh. "You need to clean this place up!"

"It's fine for me... cereal over there..." he said pointing a sleepy finger over to the dresser.

Bracing herself on the corner of his bed, she slowly stood up. All covered in darkness she slowly walked to the dresser, while House grinned with his eyes closed thinking about how he was going to tell Wilson how their boss hit the floor. Cuddy finally took the box, just to find it, obviously... empty.

"What the... House!!" she complained.

"Ohh, shut up!!" House answered hiding himself under his pillow, wishing she was gone.

"What am I going to eat now?! You left nothing in the fridge!"

"Go and grab a coffee and bagel on your way to the hospital, see? This is why I'm so cool," he said, turning to the other side again.

"I hate you," she murmured walking slowly in direction of the door, but slipped again on the trash covering the floor. This time however, she caught herself before falling.

"I want this cleaned up when I come back... and I expect you in the Clinic at 10 o'clock or I swear to God you will work 72 straight hours like an intern ALL weekend!" Cuddy threatened.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah..." he murmured, eyes closed, pillow still over his head.

"WITHOUT cable!" Lisa finished, closing the door hard. House sighed one more time, got comfortable in his bed and fell asleep peacefully.

* * *

"Well, if it isn't Mr. Cutthroat Bitch in the flesh," said House limping next to his, once again, newly wed best friend near the elevator. After House's building literally blew up, Wilson wanted to come back as soon as possible, but Cuddy assured him that House was fine after he temporally moved in with her. So Wilson and his new wife, Mrs_. Cutthroat Bitch_, a.k.a Dr. Amber Volakis, stayed in Hawaii for the remainder of their honeymoon and just recently came back to their regular routine: James in Oncology at PPTH and Amber at Princeton General. 

"Aren't you a joy today? Is it that the screenwriter's strike is finally over or maybe you just sucked the life of Cuddy's plants to survive another week?" answered the oncologist with a grin on his face.

"My God..." said House making an exaggerated shocking face, "... you're already acting like her! This must be a new record in the world of dominated husbands!"

"I am not dominated," sighed Wilson as he entered the elevator with House next to him.

"Actually, aren't 'married' and 'dominated' synonyms?"

"No, they aren't... by the way, why are you here so early? It's not even noon yet," Wilson asked raising a curious eyebrow.

"I have things to do."

"And those things had nothing to do with the fact that Cuddy threatened you with the weekend shift that's usually given to interns," Wilson said matter of factly as the door of the elevator opened on House's floor.

"Of course not. I had a patient to check on," House lied.

"Sure, that's why your team is downstairs doing Clinic."

"Clinic, clinic, clinic... that woman has a fetish and not one that interests me," House said taking his jacket away and sitting in his chair. "Oh, she fell as graceful as a hippo on my bedroom floor this morning. I think I literally rocked her world last night," he commented, taking his tennis ball in his hands and throwing it into the air.

"She said it was because of all the garbage you have there. She scratched her knees when she fell," Wilson commented as he sat down in the chair across from him. House smirked.

"And why are you checking out Satan's legs anyway? You do have a wife as I recall."

"I'm married House, not blind."

"What it is with you and the married status? Why do you have the compulsion to marry everything you see? You barely know her and there you are again, with the whatever number it is Mrs. Wilson."

"Maybe it's a good sign that she didn't take my name and kept her own. That's new. And I just enjoy being married, House. Maybe this time it will work."

"You better hope so, because I don't think your salary will allow you to pay for another alimony," House joked.

"Funny… and sadly true," admitted the oncologist.

"Why not just live with her? You aren't obligated to marry everything you screw."

"One thing I've learned is that there aren't any guarantees. There are people with arranged marriages that live together for sixty years, and other couples who dated for years and get divorced after 6 months."

"Aww, you were watching _When Harry Met Sally_ again, weren't ya?" said House smiling, but Wilson continued like he didn't hear him.

"So, I'm taking my chances with Amber. I love her," he finished and House laughed.

"You didn't marry her for love. I'm not saying you don't love her, maybe you do, maybe she loves you too… but that's not why you married her. You just did that because you like the title of married man; it gives you a certain status that's appealing for your age. You enjoy knowing you are the _married doctor_, plus it's a hell of a social proof that you are not gay, as many of the single men your age are, or that you don't have really deep emotional commitment issues. You are just adding a big invisible sign to yourself that says _I'm not as screwed up as you think, try me._ You just want to get laid, you dog!"

"As marvelous as your Neanderthal psychology is, I do not want to sleep with other women."

"I'm sure! If she's like me – which we already concluded – then she must be really good in the sack."

"Besides, if your theory is right, why did she marry me then?" Wilson asked with a quizzical eyebrow.

"Easy- because you entertain her. She is an obsessive control freak of a woman with a competition complex and you are basically a puppy. You don't ask her to change, you just wag your cute little tail every time you want food. She controls you, but at the same time, you give her what she needs."

"And what would that be?" Wilson asked a little annoyed.

"You cuddle her at night, am I right?" he asked him. Wilson moved uncomfortably in his chair and House smirked.

"But don't worry that much, Jimmy boy," he said standing up and holding himself up with the help of his cane, looking at the younger doctor. "All I'm saying is don't fool yourself by saying that you married her because of the sweet romantic love you share. It was a mutual selfish decision that accommodates the both of you, but it doesn't mean it's not going to work. That depends on you not cheating on her… and I have the feeling that you wouldn't, because she can surgically remove _junior_ at night and you wouldn't know about it until you woke up in the morning and went into the bathroom to take a leak."

Wilson was speechless. He blinked a couple of times registering the harsh information that was once again, the pure and hard truth.

"Well, thank you. I'm just glad you admitted that you think that my marriage may work," commented Wilson sarcastically.

"I do… after all, this is the first time I actually like one of your women, and that's new too," said House walking over to the TV and turning it on.

"As new as you living with Cuddy," commented Wilson trying to turn the tables on him this time.

"That's temporary and you know it."

"I wonder how true that is. I mean, you have been in there for two weeks. You got your credit cards back and you could ask me for money if you need it for a deposit, but I haven't even seen you looking for an apartment at all. You haven't even been bitching as much as you usually do either."

"I can't wait for you to elaborate on that thought," murmured House, flipping through the channels.

"I just wonder if you actually want to leave her place," Wilson commented while turning around in his chair, looking at the ceiling.

"Of course I do… she's a neat freak, eats only that organic crap, AND she wakes up early and makes too much noise," he answered while coming back to his chair without looking at his friend.

"And still… there you are," Wilson was ready to continue, but he received a page. He looked at it and stood up.

"I have to go, but we will continue this later."

"Yeah, yeah," House murmured as he concentrated on the screen watching _The Fairly Odd Parents_.

"Don't lie to yourself, House," said Wilson dramatically as he opened the door. "Maybe this isn't just you needing help and her feeling giving and charitable… maybe it's_a __mutual selfish decision that accommodates the both of you, but it doesn't mean it's not going to work_" he fired back at him with his own words. House gave him the evil eye and Wilson smiled triumphantly before leaving him alone.

* * *

"I want you to be the chief of the E.R.," said Cuddy professionally, looking at the younger female doctor in front of her whose only reaction was to blink repeatedly. 

"Me?" asked Cameron.

"Yes, Dr. Cameron. Your talent is absolutely wasted as being just another doctor in the E.R. I gave you enough time to adjust to your new environment without Dr. House being around, and I think you're ready for a new challenge. You have a quick response to emergency calls and a quick, sharp mind to quickly and accurately diagnose," complimented Cuddy, smiling at the young woman who smiled back sadly and looked down.

"Another consequence of learning from Dr. House," Cameron commented.

"And a good one. Your skills have improved enormously since 3 years ago. You are a valuable asset for this hospital and I want to give you the chance to prove yourself good enough to run your own department. Plus, I want you giving lectures to the students about immunology. How does that sound?" Cuddy asked.

"Wow," said Cameron, unable to find anything else to say for a moment. "I… I guess thank you, Dr. Cuddy," the young doctor finally added, feeling her heart pounding hard in her chest and feeling excited for the first in a very long time. Cuddy smiled contentedly, knowing that that was what Cameron needed to get back onto her feet and maybe, just maybe, move her infatuation for House to the minor place it deserved and not the center of her universe. Cuddy would not intervene in Cameron's life, but she did hope that this new role would push the young doctor into something more for her professional future; besides… she would be a good teacher.

"Then it's settled. Congratulations, Dr. Cameron," said Cuddy standing up and extending her hand to her. Cameron stood up and shook it strongly and gratefully, a huge smile all over her face which made her look even more younger than usual.

"You will not be disappointed, I promise," answered Cameron feeling extremely enthusiastic, wondering if Chase wouldn't be in surgery so she could tell him the news.

* * *

"You know that with Cameron in the E.R. you will get your reports on pink scented paper, probably with the design of little unicorns and butterflies on it?" said House limping behind her in the hallway of the first floor near the Clinic. Cuddy just smiled. 

"Don't underestimate her."

"I don't," he said seriously this time. "I'm just amazed how the guilt gets to you, even when you haven't done anything wrong."

"What are you talking about?" she said turning around to face him, chart in hand.

"You did it because of guilt, because you don't like how I mistreated her. It never occurred to you that I had a reason for that?" he said looking at her.

"I wouldn't do that…"

"You did it with me. You crippled me and then offered me a job, or am I no longer the Head of the Diagnostic Department?" he said getting into her personal space. She stepped back a little.

"You always say that, but it's not true. You are a good doctor, you deserve that job and until now, you've been doing it fine. But if you keep pushing it, I'll give it to Foreman," she said turning around, one eyebrow raised.

"You won't, but that's not the point. You did it again, with Cameron. You are a Jewish version of Mother Theresa!"

"Shut up, House," Cuddy answered a little angrily while entering the Clinic and giving Brenda the file in her hand.

"Then why…?"

"Because she is a capable doctor, and she will do the job well. The only thing in common between your situations is that I have faith that the both of you will do the job and step forward," she said poking her index finger in his chest. He rolled his eyes and shut up.

"Did you clean your bedroom?" she asked changing the subject.

"Yes, Mother," he said passing her and getting the chart for exam room one.

"You better… I don't want to clean up after you when you leave next week," Cuddy said with her hands on her hips.

"Something happens next week?" he asked like it was nothing.

"Yes, you go away… Monday is payday. I assume you are eager to get rid of me as soon as possible."

"You'd be surprised," he murmured to himself as he signed some papers. "But of course! I actually need your help this weekend to help me look for an apartment. Would you drive me around?"

"Wilson is here…"

"Yes, but Cutthroat Bitch would probably like to go too and suck all the fun out of it."

"Fine. I'll take you," said Cuddy feeling defeated. "But WE are going to the supermarket today after work… you ate all the food again, so you will pick up your own stuff. AND you will pay for your own and help me carry them and everything related, are we clear?"

"Yes, Mother," House said, passing her and entering exam room one while Cuddy left for exam room three, closing the door behind her.

A very impressed Brenda witnessed the scene and just rolled her eyes before going back to work.

* * *

"That stuff is sugar with cornflakes," Cuddy said, taking away the box of cereal House just added to the shopping cart. He frowned and put it back inside the cart and Cuddy immediately took it out again. 

"Hey!!" House complained, taking the cereal box out of her hands. She sighed.

"FINE!" she almost shouted and let him take the damn unhealthy thing. "This is worse than shopping with a child."

"No, it's not!" House answered and stuck his tongue out at her, annoying her. She rolled her eyes.

"No meat," Cuddy warned while walking the aisles pushing her cart with House limping next to her.

"I refuse to keep eating lettuce; I am not a fucking rabbit!"

"Then you do your own shopping, but remember I won't cook it for you. You buy it, you cook it. Period."

"Witch," House complained and put a package of Oreo's into the cart. Cuddy grabbed another one and added it. A smirking House watched her.

"What?" she said making a face as though it was nothing. "I like them."

"Sure."

They kept walking and taking what they wanted. It was a ridiculous amount of stuff they were buying, but House just took the opposite of everything she grabbed.

"House, why do you need tampons that are a different brand than mine?"

"Maybe I'll have a girlfriend who will need them in the future."

"Do you realize you are paying for all your junk?"

"Obviously, Dear," he answered loudly, looking into the deodorant section. Cuddy felt how her face turned red of embarrassment when the people around looked at them wondering what they were quarrelling about.

"Not that!" she said when he chose a musk scent deodorant.

"What's wrong with it?"

"I hate the smell. Get a different one."

"I'm sorry… I thought I was the one who was going to be using it."

"Get a different one or I won't let you eat meat in MY house, ever," she threatened. House gave up and chose another one.

"Fine," he said.

"Fine!" Cuddy answered back, passing into the cheese section. House smiled a flirty smile when he saw a cute promoter girl who was no older than 17 giving free samples of cheese to the customers. She smiled widely when he came close to her.

"Want to try one, sir? This is a new brand, a 100 natural and old fashion made Edam cheese imported from the Netherlands," she offered cutely.

"Fascinating," said House with his charming voice and the girl giggled. Cuddy, a few steps behind him, hid her smile of embarrassment.

"Wouldn't your wife like one?" the girl asked him, looking at Cuddy.

"She is not my wife, only my mistress," he explained casually while eating a piece of cheese. Cuddy slapped the back of his arm.

"I am not… and I'm not his wife either. He wishes!" she said taking a piece of cheese herself. The girl smiled at her, hoping that they would buy some of it later.

"Oh, I just assumed... excuse me," the girl apologized.

"Don't bother… wouldn't be the first time," said Cuddy eyeing House who was shamelessly looking at the girl's large chest. Good thing she didn't notice. Cuddy elbowed him hard in the ribs.

"Behave," she murmured.

"Stop mistreating me!" he said loudly, getting the attention of the cheese girl. "You see, she wants me, but she can't admit it because of her feminist pride… her loss. I'm still available," and he winked at her. The girl laughed aloud.

"You are funny, sir... cute…" she said suddenly, and Cuddy raised an eyebrow at her, "… you remind me of my grandpa Joe," she finished, still giggling.

Cuddy almost choked on her piece of cheese as House stood next to her with a half eaten piece of cheese in his hand, looking shocked. Cuddy couldn't control her laughter, knowing that the cheese girl just owned him for good. Taking what little dignity he had left, House turned around abruptly and limped away, while Cuddy laughed until her eyes watered. The cheese girl just looked at them wondering what she did. Cuddy tried to control herself and pushed the cart in the direction of an angry House who was walking away.

"By the way, where is that cheese?" asked Cuddy to the girl before going too far away, and the girl pointed to a shelf, happy for making a sale. Cuddy grabbed a big piece and hid it at the bottom of the cart, waved thankfully at the girl and followed _grandpa Joe_ to the next aisle.

TBC 

_Hope you like it! And sorry again for the delay. My thanks __to my friend Dwparnisp for being such a good beta and pushing me to write this chapter :)_


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